Public Safety Blotter: Jan. 9Dec. 22 At 12:26 a.m., a caller reported reckless driving on Bartel Avenue. Police were unable to locate vehicle described. At 1:02 a.m., police cited a driver on Stellar Way for having no proof of insurance. At 2:37 a.m., police responded to suspicious circumstances on Thorsheim Street. The vehicle was unoccupied. At 2:44 a.m., police gave a no camping advisement on Thorsheim Street. At 4:10 a.m., a 911 caller re...

Code change insults intelligenceKodiak Island is such a unique place to live. The people living here are, for the most part, thoughtful, caring, giving, creative and — oh, intelligent. This imported version of P&Z Title 17 is an insult to our intelligence. The purpose and intent of Title 17 reads; “to promote public health, safety and general welfare through the use of uniform district regulations.” Agenda 21 reads, “Protecting and promoting hum...

Masquerade Ball gives maskers a chance to entertain and be entertainedWhy let a good tradition go by the wayside? For nearly a century, people of Kodiak Island have come together to greet the new year with dancing, masking and feasting at the Russian New Year’s Masquerade Ball. Jeannine Marsh, CEO of the Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak hopes that the praznik continues far into the future. For the past several years, the annual Ball has been sponsored by the Elders’ Council which comes under ...

In the Courts: Jan. 9Kelvin Ruben pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct – challenge to a fight. Ruben was sentenced to 10 days in jail (10 suspended) and fined $1,000 ($1,000 suspended) and ordered to complete 20 hours of community work service and placed on probation for one year.

Code changes make enforcer too powerfulMany of us Kodiak residents do not welcome this massive 340-page Borough Code change. It is to be reviewed at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the P&Z meeting. Let's be there! A little research reveals that "Kodiak is a member of ICLEI — International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives. This is a UN-sponsored group that designs and writes policy for our area on land use, energy goals and measurement and water usage. I...

Council gets grant for new 911 systemThe Kodiak City Council accepted funds for a much-needed upgrade to the city’s E911 system at Thursday’s council meeting. The almost $400,000 re-appropriation from the State of Alaska legislature will pay for a system that can accept not only 911 calls but also video calls, texts and photos. The city’s current system is more than 20 years old and has had many glitches. “We’ve experienced unexpected failures,” city...

Teeing Off: The Floyd getting in the way of the HawksThe Joe Floyd/Ravn Alaska Winter Classic Basketball Tournament is a mouth full to say, and write. I’ll simply shorten it to The Floyd. The Floyd has been a holiday tradition in Kodiak since 1972, making it the longest-running high school hoops tournament in the state. This marks my ninth time covering the Emerald Island’s biggest sporting event. I was overwhelmed at first. Try putting together a 16-page program as...

Draft rules get an FThe residents of Kodiak are currently standing at a fork in the road: an important moment in the history of the community. Which path we take will determine whether we will continue to enjoy the lifestyle and freedom we have as Alaskans and Kodiak residents. The kind of life that people in places such as New York and Los Angeles don’t know about. I recently applied for the City of Kodiak seat on the Kodiak Island ...